On Earth, finding the exact time is effortless. Our planet relies on a sophisticated global system that combines atomic clocks, GPS satellites, and ultra-fast communication networks to keep everything in sync.

That precision does not extend naturally beyond Earth. Albert Einstein showed that time does not move at the same pace everywhere in the universe. The rate at which a clock ticks depends on gravity, meaning clocks run slightly slower in stronger gravity and faster in weaker gravity. Even coordinating time across Earth is complex. Extending that coordination across the solar system is far more challenging. For future explorers hoping to live and work on Mars, one fundamental question must be answered first: What time is it on Mars?

Scientists Calculate Mars Time for the First Time

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have now produced a precise answer. Their calculations show that, on average, clocks on Mars tick 477 microseconds (millionths of a second) faster per day than clocks on Earth. That difference is not constant. Because of Mars' stretched orbit and gravitational influences from other bodies, the time difference can vary by as much as 226 microseconds per day throughout the Martian year.

The research was recently published in The Astronomical Journal and builds on a 2024 study in which NIST scientists outlined a framework for highly precise timekeeping on the Moon.

Understanding how time passes on Mars is essential for future missions, said NIST physicist Bijunath Patla. As NASA prepares for more advanced Mars exploration, accurate timing will be critical for navigation, communication, and coordination across planetary distances.

"The time is just right for the Moon and Mars," Patla said. "This is the closest we have been to realizing the science fiction vision of expanding across the solar system."

Mars Time Zone

Mars operates on a different schedule than Earth in more ways than one. A single Martian day lasts about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day, and a Martian year stretches across 687 Earth days compared with 365 days on Earth. Beyond those obvious differences, scientists needed to determine whether each second on Mars passes at the same rate as it does on Earth.

An atomic clock placed on the surface of Mars would function normally. The clock itself would tick just as it does on Earth. The problem appears when that Mars clock is compared with one on Earth. Over time, the two clocks drift apart. The task for scientists was to determine exactly how large that offset becomes, similar to defining a planetary time zone.

That calculation proved more complicated than expected. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, gravity alters the flow of time. Clocks slow down in stronger gravity and speed up where gravity is weaker. A planet's motion through space also affects how time passes, with orbital speed contributing additional changes.